• The ARRL Letter for August 10, 2023

    From ARRL Web site@21:1/5 to All on Fri Aug 11 02:12:05 2023
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    ********************************************
    The ARRL Letter

    Published by the American Radio Relay League ********************************************

    August 10, 2023

    John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor <news@arrl.org>

    ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

    - New ARRL Video Helps Members Navigate Digital Magazines
    - FCC Recruiting Field Agents
    - IARU Approves two Digipeating Amateur Satellites
    - New ARRL Propagation Book Offers Tools for Solar Cycle 25
    - Amateur Radio in the News
    - ARRL Podcasts
    - Announcements
    - In Brief...
    - The K7RA Solar Update
    - Just Ahead in Radiosport
    - Upcoming Contests:
    - Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions

    NEW ARRL VIDEO HELPS MEMBERS NAVIGATE DIGITAL MAGAZINES

    ARRL members have digital access <https://www.arrl.org/magazines> to
    four high quality magazines: QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ. If you have questions or concerns about how to get the most out of the digital
    editions, "How to View ARRL Magazines Digitally" on the ARRLHQ YouTube
    channel, will help walk you through it.

    The video, hosted by Jherica Goodgame, KI5HTA, explores the features of
    the digital presentation including switching between magazines, saving
    to PDF, searching for content, bookmarkings, and zooming in to content.
    It covers the web browser version, as well as the Android and iOS
    applications.

    If you download the ARRL magazines app for Android or iOS, ARRL will
    send a notification to your device when a new edition is available for
    reading. They are also available on Amazon Kindle.

    The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/vmZflC2IUIs

    FCC RECRUITING FIELD AGENTS

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is looking for qualified
    applicants to fill Field Agent positions in five offices across the
    United States: New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San
    Francisco. Applicants will need to be degreed electrical or electronics engineers with experience in tests, measurements, calculations, and
    similar work involving radio frequency (RF) engineering, broadcast
    engineering, or telecommunications engineering. The duties include:

    - Operate and understand all technical equipment typically used in the
    field, including RF spectrum analyzers, field strength meters, RF field
    survey meters, and radio receivers.

    - Maintain contacts with and assist other federal agencies, foreign counterparts, and local law enforcement organizations concerning
    interaction and utilization of the radio spectrum for both authorized
    and unauthorized activities.

    - Initiate Official Notices of Violation, Warnings, Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, and other orders to radio operators and
    licensees to bring unsatisfactory or violative conditions to their
    attention as a result of monitoring and performing investigations, and inspections.

    - Independently initiate correspondence or other communications with complainants and radio users concerning the enforcement functions of
    the office and region.

    The salary range is $66,134 - $158,432 per year depending on
    qualifications and experience.

    The New York, Boston, and Chicago job postings are at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/736540500
    <https://www.usajobs.gov/job/736540500>

    The Los Angeles and San Francisco postings are at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/736547300
    <https://www.usajobs.gov/job/736547300>

    Applications are being accepted through August 24, 2023.

    IARU APPROVES TWO DIGIPEATING AMATEUR SATELLITES

    The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has coordinated two
    European digipeating satellites that are scheduled to launch in fall
    2023. At the Technical University of Košice in Slovakia, satellite
    Veronika, a 1U CubeSat, is scheduled for launch on a Falcon 9 launcher
    on the Transporter 9 mission in October 2023.

    The satellite will be equipped with a 24/7 digipeater on two different
    bands, as well as experimental slow-scan digital video (SSDV)
    transmissions. There is an education and outreach mission planned to
    involve Slovak grammar and high schools, and to transmit special CW and
    AX.25 messages on several special occasions. The satellite will be
    equipped with a novel Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) subsystem, including electromagnetic actuators and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. This will also help to identify the
    satellite during the first days and weeks of orbit.

    The satellite will communicate using Spacemanic's
    <https://www.spacemanic.com/> well-known Murgas transceivers (BDSat-1,
    BDSat-2, Planetum-1). Altogether, Veronika will provide: AX.25
    telemetry, a CW beacon, a digipeater, AX.25 and CW messages on special occasions for community engagement, experimental SSDV transmissions,
    SatNOGS <https://satnogs.org/> integration, a decoder, and a dashboard.
    A downlink on 436.680 MHz has been coordinated, and it will use 9k6
    G3RUH AX.25 and a CW beacon. A SpaceX launch on the Transporter 9
    mission will send the satellite to a 500/600-kilometer polar orbit.

    The Romanian Federation of Amateur Radio (FRR
    <http://www.hamradio.ro/>) is preparing the ROM-3 for launch in October
    or November 2023. ROM-3 is a 50 x 50 x 100-millimeter picoSAT with
    three missions and objectives. Its primary mission is to act as a
    digital amateur radio repeater. Its secondary mission is to transmit low-resolution SSDV images in a Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK)
    mode. The tertiary mission is to transmit a CW beacon that will help
    amateur radio operators detect the presence of the satellite and
    measure basic properties of the signals, such as its strength, fading
    due to spinning, and Doppler to measure speed. A downlink on 436.235
    MHz has been coordinated for 20 WPM on CW, 500 (bps) GFSK telemetry,
    and 5 (kBps) GFSK SSDV. A SpaceX launch will send ROM-3 into a
    500-kilometer polar orbit.

    NEW ARRL PROPAGATION BOOK OFFERS TOOLS FOR SOLAR CYCLE 25

    "Learning about propagation will make you a more effective operator
    and station builder," said Ward Silver, N0AX, editor of ARRL's newest
    book, Here to There: Radio Wave Propagation <https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2010547491>. "It's a key part of 'radio know-how.'"

    Silver and contributing editors present the principles of signal
    propagation in an easy-to-understand style. Other contributors include
    Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA; Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell, W2NAF; Frank
    Donovan, W3LPL; Ethan Miller, K8GU, and Hermann Schumacher, DF2DR.

    Here to There: Radio Wave Propagation provides practical advice for understanding what's going on in the ionosphere and troposphere, how
    takeoff angle impacts your transmission, how far you can really
    communicate over VHF and UHF, and much more. Understanding ionospheric structures, how they form, and which bands they interact with will
    prepare you for practical operating and help you make the most of your
    time on the air. The book is timely, introduced as Solar Cycle 25 is in
    its upswing. <>

    Order from the ARRL Store <https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2010547491>
    or find an ARRL publications dealer.

    AMATEUR RADIO IN THE NEWS

    ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news <http://www.arrl.org/media-hits>.

    "Ham Radio Enthusiasts Battle High-Frequency Traders for the Airwaves <https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/ham-radio-enthusiasts-battle-high-frequency-traders-for-the-airwaves/ar-AA1ePt95>"

    / The Wall Street Journal (New York) August 6, 2023.

    Share <newsmedia@arrl.org> any amateur radio media hits you spot with
    us.

    ARRL PODCASTS

    On the Air
    Sponsored by Icom <https://www.icomamerica.com/>

    This month, we talk with Steve Simons, W1SMS, the Technical Coordinator
    for the Connecticut Section, who shares his experiences as a TC, from coordinating with Emergency Operations Centers during an emergency, to presenting technical papers at ham club meetings, to working with the
    Section's Technical Specialists to help local hams with troubleshooting
    and other technical matters.

    ARRL Audio News
    Listen to ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>,
    available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top
    news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with
    interviews and other features.

    The On the Air podcast is available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher
    (Android). The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are also on
    blubrry -- On the Air <https://blubrry.com/arrlontheair/> | ARRL Audio
    News <https://blubrry.com/arrlaudionews/>.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    National Sunflower Day is August 15, 2023, and the ARRL Kansas Section
    will be hosting a Sunflower Net. The Sunflower Linked System is a
    multimode linked system in Kansas and the special event call sign is
    W0S. Stations are encouraged to check into the Sunflower Net using one
    of the connectors listed at www.sunflowernet.us
    <http://www.sunflowernet.us/>. Those connections are available on
    Allstar, Hamshack Hotline, EchoLink, digital mobile radio (DMR),
    Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio (D-STAR), System Fusion,
    Project 25 (P25), or open-source amateur radio M17. Lloyd Colston,
    KC5FM, one of the event managers, said the sunflower is the state
    flower of Kansas, and more information about its observance and history
    is available at the National Sunflower Day website <https://whatnationaldayisit.com/day/sunflower/> or at State Symbols
    USA <https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/kansas/state-flower/sunflower>.


    The New England Amateur Radio Festival (NEAR-Fest) will be held on
    October 13 - 14, 2023. NEAR-Fest is an international event run by and
    aimed at all radio hobbyists and enthusiasts, including hams,
    short-wave listeners, scanner buffs, and vintage/antique radio fans.
    NEAR-Fest is held biannually in the spring and fall, rain or shine, at
    the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield, New Hampshire. The event will
    begin on Friday at 0900 ET and end on Saturday at 1500 ET. NEAR-Fest
    typically attracts attendees from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
    Maryland, and other states, as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New
    Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Canada. Some attendees travel great
    distances. One participant from Los Angeles, California, has attended
    NEAR-Fest 15 times, and in 2010, one radio amateur traveled from
    Greece. The program will feature a huge outdoor electronic flea market
    and three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical
    seminars and symposiums, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special event radio stations, and a jam session. The
    event is the largest of its kind in the Northeast and was once
    described as the "Woodstock of Amateur Radio." More information is
    available at www.Home - NEAR-Fest.com <https://near-fest.com/>.

    IN BRIEF...

    The 3rd annual Masonic Lodges on the Air (MLotA), an amateur radio
    special event, will occur on Saturday, September 23, 2023, from
    locations across the United States. The event is open to all amateur
    radio operators. The idea for the event grew from the realization that
    many Freemasons also have a love for amateur radio. The Fulton County
    Amateur Radio Club <https://fcarc.com/> and Ohio's Fulton Lodge #248
    first hosted the event in 2021. The mission is to promote fraternal
    bonds within the ranks for Free and Accepted Masonic lodges and its
    many amateur radio operators, who are also brothers in the fraternity
    while encouraging contact with amateur radio operators around the
    state, county and world. The event will take place from 10:00 AM - 6:00
    PM ET, on 80 - 40 - 20 -15, and 10 meters SSB. Amateur radio
    participants are asked to honor all band plans, and all contacts must
    be on the phone portion of the bands. Stations may be contacted once on
    each band. Complete contest rules and more information can be found at cqmorelight.com/rules. <http://cqmorelight.com/rules>

    Visit the ARRL Special Event Stations database at www.arrl.org/special-event-stations. <http://www.arrl.org/special-event-stations> to find other on-the-air
    events and commemorations.

    Minutes of the Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors are now
    published. The meeting was held July 21 - 22, 2023 in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Among the decisions approved at the meeting was a new dues
    rate, effective January 1, 2024. The minutes are available at www.arrl.org/board-meetings <https://www.arrl.org/board-meetings>.

    The 2022 ARRL Annual Report has been published. This yearly summary
    details accomplishments of our member-volunteers. Included is ARRL's
    Report to America, which highlights the contributions made by radio
    amateurs to their local communities. It may be especially valuable to
    amateur radio clubs and emergency communications groups to help tell
    the story of good works done by hams. Communications responses for New
    England blizzards, Oklahoma tornadoes, Colorado wildfires, and
    Hurricane Ian are detailed in the report which may be viewed at this
    link <https://www.arrl.org/annual-reports>.

    THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE

    Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week's ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP032:

    Solar disk image taken August 10, 2023, courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI.

    Two new sunspot groups appeared on August 3, and then three more
    appeared on August 7, followed by another on August 9.

    But solar activity was lower during our current reporting week of
    August 3 - 9, with the average daily sunspot number dropping from 154.3
    to 108.9, and average solar flux from 173 to 166.4.

    The average daily planetary A index rose from 8.3 to 12.3, and the
    average middle latitude A index rose from 9.3 to 10.1.

    The middle latitude A index on August 3 - 4 was not available, so I
    estimated the value based on the planetary A index and remaining five
    middle latitude readings for the rest of the week.

    Predicted solar flux is 150 on August 10 - 12; 145, 140, 130, and 135
    on August 13 - 16; 162 on August 17 - 18; 164 on August 19 - 20; 168 on
    August 21 - 23; 172, 172, and 170 on August 24 - 26; 172, 172, and 174
    on August 27 - 29; 172, 172, and 170 on August 30 - September 1; 168,
    168, 166, and 164 on September 2 - 5, and 162, 162, 164, and 164 on
    September 6 - 9.

    Predicted planetary A index is 12 on August 10; 5 on August 11 - 14; 12
    and 8 on August 15 - 16; 5 on August 17 - 25; 12 on August 26, and 5 on
    August 27 - September 4.

    On August 9, Spaceweather.com <https://spaceweather.com/> wrote about a
    1940 geomagnetic storm that sounds similar to the infamous Carrington
    Event.

    Two coronal mass ejections hit Earth, each 109 minutes apart. Read a
    recent scientific paper on the event at https://bit.ly/3s1VrMh.

    Check out the following articles on solar flares:

    https://bit.ly/3KXlUl1

    https://bit.ly/3qj0pE6

    https://bit.ly/3QPYPV9

    https://bit.ly/45naVsF

    Space weather forecaster Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, recently uploaded
    this video:

    https://youtu.be/Olfjss8GmSI

    Sunspot numbers for August 3 - 9, 2023, were 124, 122, 100, 97, 101,
    115, and 103, with a mean of 108.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 162.9,
    170.8, 175.8, 173.5, 169.7, 158.9, and 153.4, with a mean of 166.4.
    Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 13, 36, 4, 12, 8, and 7, with a
    mean of 12.3. Middle latitude A index was 5, 12, 24, 4, 11, 7, and 8,
    with a mean of 10.1.

    Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.

    A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
    website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit <http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals> the ARRL Technical
    Information Service, read
    <http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere> "What the Numbers
    Mean...," and check out <http://k9la.us/> the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

    A propagation bulletin archive <http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio <https://www.voacap.com/hf/> website.

    Share <k7ra@arrl.net> your reports and observations.

    A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News
    <http://www.arrl.org/news>.

    JUST AHEAD IN RADIOSPORT

    Yearlong -- ARRL Volunteers On the Air <https://vota.arrl.org/> (VOTA).
    See the State Activations Schedule for weekly W1AW Portable Operations <https://vota.arrl.org/w1awPortable.php>, including:

    - August 9 - 15 -- New Jersey W1AW/2

    - August 16 - 22 -- Vermont W1AW/1

    - August 16 - 22 -- Oklahoma W1AW/5

    UPCOMING CONTESTS:

    - August 12 -- FISTS Saturday Sprint (CW)

    - August 12 - 13 -- ARRL EME Contest (CW phone, digital)

    - August 12 - 13 -- WAE DX Contest, CW (CW)

    - August 12 - 14 -- 144 MHz Meteorscatter Sprint Contest (CW, phone,
    digital)

    - August 12 -- SARL Youth QSO Party (phone)

    - August 12 - 13 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon (CW)

    - August 12 -- Kentucky State Parks on the Air (CW, phone, digital)

    - August 12 - 13 -- Maryland-DC QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)

    - August 13 -- SARL HF Digital Contest (digital)

    - August 14 -- 4 States QRP Grp 2nd Sun Sprint (CW, phone)

    - August 16 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest (FT8)

    Visit the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar>
    for more events and information.

    UPCOMING SECTION, STATE, AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS

    - August 11 - 13 | ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/2023-arrl-rocky-mountain-division-convention>, Albuquerque, New Mexico

    - August 19 - 20 | Huntsville Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/huntsville-hamfest-arrl-alabama-state-convention>,

    hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, Huntsville, Alabama

    - August 25 - 27 | Northeast HamXposition <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northeast-hamxposition-arrl-new-england-division-convention-1>,

    hosting the ARRL New England Division Convention, Marlborough,
    Massachusetts

    - September 1 - 3 | Shelby Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/shelby-hamfest-arrl-north-carolina-section-convention-2>,

    hosting the ARRL North Carolina Section Convention, Shelby, North
    Carolina

    - September 10 | ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention and
    Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-southern-new-jersey-section-convention-and-hamfest-1>,

    Mullica Hill, New Jersey

    - September 22 - 23 | HRO Superfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/hro-superfest-arrl-wisconsin-state-convention>, hosting the ARRL Wisconsin State Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    - September 23 | Red River Radio Amateur's 2023 Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/red-river-radio-amateur-s-2023-hamfest-arrl-dakota-division-convention>,

    sponsoring the ARRL Dakota Division Convention, West Fargo, North
    Dakota

    - September 23 | Spokane HAMFEST <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/spokane-hamfest-arrl-washington-state-convention-1>,

    sponsoring the ARRL Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley,
    Washington

    - October 6 - 7 | Slidell EOC Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/slidell-eoc-hamfest-arrl-louisiana-state-convention-1>,

    sponsoring the ARRL Louisiana State Convention, Slidell, Louisiana

    - October 7 | Wichita Area and Kansas State Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wichita-area-and-kansas-state-hamfest-arrl-kansas-state-convention>,

    sponsoring the ARRL Kansas State Convention, Wichita, Kansas

    - October 7 | 71st Rock Hill Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/71st-rock-hill-hamfest-arrl-south-carolina-section-convention>,

    sponsoring the ARRL South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South Carolina

    - October 8 | Nutmeg Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/nutmeg-hamfest-arrl-connecticut-state-convention-1>,

    hosting the ARRL Connecticut State Convention, North Haven, Connecticut

    - October 13 - 14 | Melbourne Hamfest <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/melbourne-hamfest-arrl-florida-state-convention-1>,

    hosting the ARRL Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida

    - October 14 | ARRL Minnesota State Convention <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-minnesota-state-convention>,
    Richfield, Minnesota

    - October 20 - 22 | Pacificon <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/pacificon-arrl-pacific-division-convention-1>, hosting the ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California

    Search the ARRL Hamfest and Convention Database
    <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests> to find events in your area.

    HAVE NEWS FOR ARRL?

    Submissions for the ARRL Letter and ARRL News can be sent to
    news@arrl.org. -- John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, ARRL News Editor
    <news@arrl.org>

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